Stress happens in some form every day. It might be in the form of a relationship that needs to be repaired, a micro-managing supervisor, or an overdue project that you’re not sure you can complete. When stress happens, the mind tries to shut down. If you can handle stress when you’re in that moment, then you can overcome it and do amazing things!

#1. Take 3 deep breaths when you feel stress attack. One of the problems of stress is that it creates a lot of tension. Instead of investing in aspirin or pain relief creams, try taking 3 deep breaths as soon as you feel the tension of stress hit you. These deep breaths can often alleviate the tension and reduce the impact that stress tries to make on your life. If your neck or shoulders feel tight, try moving them about just a bit.

#2. Find a friendly ear that you trust. One of the most effective methods of coping with stress is to verbalize your feelings. If you can find someone who will be willing to listen to you vent and not take the words that you are saying personally, then you’ll have an ally that can help you handle stress more effectively. It often takes just a few minutes of turning stressful thoughts into words to eliminate the tension that sets in. If you can’t talk it out, then try writing it out as a method of expression instead.

#3. Give yourself some positive feedback. “Stop being so stupid.” “Why did you decide to do that in the first place?” “You’re being ridiculous right now.” These are common phrases that people tell themselves when they are stressed out. It’s a form of venting, most certainly, but it also increases the level of stress that someone feels. Negative self-talk always lowers confidence and self-esteem, which then creates the conditions for more stress. Give yourself some positive feedback instead, like “You’ve got this” or “Let’s calm down for a minute and then get back to work.”

#4. Maybe you’re not actually feeling stress. The anticipation of a big project or a lot of work actually kicks the body’s adrenal glands into high gear. You might be feeling agitated and crazy, but that could be because your body has flooded your system with a high level of adrenaline. Instead of focusing on the feelings, focus on what you can do with the increased energy levels. There’s a good chance that you can funnel your agitation into huge productivity.

#5. List it out. Making a list of the things you need to do can help you better organize your day and relieve the stress that comes with uncertainty. A simple task-orientated list where you prioritize what needs to be accomplished is often good enough to eliminate the tension that tries to bog you down. Listing out the chores for the day also tends to help people accomplish more throughout the day.

Are you proactively managing your stress? These 5 proven methods will help you conquer stress before it conquers you. Implement them today and you will be amazed at how productive you can be!

You dread going to work every day? Millions of people around the world hate going to their jobs. It might be a great paying job, but the pit of their stomach drops at the thought of being at their job for majority of the day. Happiness is but a fleeting emotion. What if there was a way that you could increase the joy that you feel at work while minimizing the hatred that makes you want to be anywhere else but at your desk?

It can be done. Here’s how you can start achieving positive emotions at work.

#1. Don’t allow negativity to take root in your soul. Misery loves company. Nothing can make you more miserable during the day than a boss giving you a job that someone else should have completed already. Not only do you have to do that person’s job, but now you have to do your own as well. That perspective doesn’t make you feel good. Flip the perspective around. You got that additional job because your boss has confidence in your ability to do something great. You have been entrusted to fix the mistake. When you allow negativity to take root in your soul, it will grow into a tree of misery that will make you hate everything about your job.

#2. Joy comes from more than just a bigger paycheck. Companies can’t always provide their employees with raises. Even though having more money is nice, there might be other benefits that an employer could give you. Maybe you could get flexibility to work from home. If you don’t ask for something, your employer is not generally going to be proactive and just give it to you. If they know what you want, and they can provide it, then doing a good job will motivate your employer to give you the things that will make you happier in life.

#3. Take your commute seriously. Sitting in traffic is a unique stress all its own. By the time you get to work after a long commute, you’re already stressed out enough for the rest of the day. It’s time to re-think how you get to work. Don’t allow others to dictate this time for you. Learn a new language. Listen to your favorite podcast. Find a way to be comfortable, enjoy the time you have, and more happiness will come.

#4. Take over your working space. The things that impact our five senses are also the things that can make us joyful or miserable. Pleasant memories can make for a pleasant working experience. Put up pictures of your loved ones if your employer allows it. Bring in a favorite plant. Bring some of your favorite snacks so you can take a relaxing break and enjoy them. By planning ahead and taking over your working space, you can set yourself up for joyful success.

#5. Try to build relationships every day. The reason why we are so miserable at work is because we don’t have any genuine friendships at work. We think of our coworkers as acquaintances or people who are at the periphery of our existence. People who have best friends at work also have the most joy at work.

#6. Make an honest attempt to be grateful. You might need more money and you could use some vacation time, but there are people who would donate their right leg to science in order to have the job that you currently have. Make an attempt to be grateful in your circumstances every day will find that it is easier to be content, even when the day seems like it won’t go your way.

Many of us have put in 12 hour days at the office, working hard to get that last minute project completed. The only problem is that even with a fresh attitude and a lot of energy, it doesn’t take long for the distractions of life to take hold. Most people can only go about 2 hours before they start spending time on Facebook or Twitter. Add in emails, text messages, phone calls from home to pick up the milk… and out of those 12 hours, you’re maybe actually working 5-6 hours in total.

That’s all well and good when you’re earning a paycheck from an employer. When you’re an entrepreneur and your pay is based on your productivity, however, those distractions could cost you a lot of money every year. It pays to work smart.

Why Are We Always So Busy?

The modern lifestyle is a busy one for everyone these days, but it is a choice that each person has made that makes it this way. We can each choose to slow life down, work hard for 8 hours with a break here and there, and then spend time pursuing a hobby, taking a hike in the woods, or playing with the kids. We choose to be busy because it’s a badge of honor.

We were busy. That means we had a good day.

Many times we’ll complain about how busy we are and this too becomes a badge of courage. If you’re more swamped than someone else, then you’re more important than that person – at least in your eyes. The only problem is that your busy life is taking away the things that truly matter in life. ears from now, it won’t be the busy times that you look back upon fondly. It will be those special, perfect moments where you did the things you love with the people you love.

How Can Changes Be Made?

The good news is that you can begin to change right now. The fastest way is to set deadlines for yourself that must be met. When we have actual deadlines, we stay focused. Those distractions go away because you have tunnel vision on the project at hand. You can give yourself 45 minutes or 4 hours – as long as the timing makes sense and you stick to it, you’ll find that a line in the sand helps a lot.

Once you’ve done that, then cut out the non-essential tasks you’ve got going on. Eliminate low paying activities to give high paying ones a better priority. Get rid of meetings that are just a waste of time. Always be working on something that will pay you now or in the future as an entrepreneur.

The final change is to set rigid scheduling. This might require help from someone, like a virtual assistant, but it will keep you on task every day. In the end, you’ll be surprised about how much work you can get done… and you may just find that you’re not complaining about how busy you are any more.

There’s a lot of stuff going on in the world today. With Twitter, SMS texts, video calls, and plenty of other distractions, it’s understandable that some things don’t get done like you’d intended during the day. Yet some people always seem to come out on top. What are their secrets? What habits do they have that make them consistently productive?

1. Highly Productive People Don’t Multitask

To be a team player, many managers like to hear how you can effectively multitask multiple projects. If you’re switching back and forth between different jobs every 15 minutes, however, you’ve got a recipe for getting nothing done very quickly. Your brain reacts negatively to multiple switches, so highly productive people will focus in on one task, complete it, then start on the next task. The myth that people who multitask is simply not true.

2. Set Realistic Tasks for Yourself

What are the things that you need to get done today? If you’ve got macro-goals listed, then chances are you’re not going to accomplish them whatsoever. Macro-goals, or the completion of a major project, are generally not completed in a work day. Instead, look for micro-goals that you can complete, which are the tiny steps required for the macro-goal to be realized. You’ll feel like you accomplished a lot more in a day if you can accomplish several micro-goals instead of zero macro-goals. Inch by inch, life is a cinch.

3. Schedule Time for Your E-mail

One of the worst distractions there is today is the e-mail. Many people have a work account, a personal account, and a mobile account that will all notify you when you’ve got a new message. Instead of immediately responding to each and every e-mail you receive immediately, set two or three times during the day where you dedicate yourself to answering messages. This will help you be more effective with your answers… and more effective with your other work. Some very successful people actually turn off their email notifications so that they are not constantly being distracted.

4. Don’t Let Your Day be Dictated

If you know that you’ve got specific goals that need to be accomplished, then work on your own terms and get that stuff done! The world won’t end if someone needs to have a request delayed for 24 hours in most circumstances in most jobs. There might always be that emergency situation that demands an immediate response, but for the most part, you can control how people influence you. Ignore the negative, focus on the positive.

5. Work Smarter, Not Harder

Have you ever felt tired after a long meeting? Do you feel hungry after a creative session? Your brain consumes a lot of glucose during the work day and long sessions of output can actually drain you of the ability to create a professional level of work. Every hour or so, get up, grab a snack or something to drink, walk around for a few minutes, and then let yourself get back to work. The short break will help you produce more, with better quality, and that will make everyone happy and you more productive.